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Title: Raymond Hassall my Grandpa
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Blog Entry: Today we say good-bye to Ray a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and a friend. I say Ray because that was what he always called himself; he was not Mr. Hassall, as that was his grandfather said he is dead, as he said "you can call me anything except late for dinner." He was born the oldest son of Hilda and Thomas Hassall on January 28, 1930, in North Battleford. Ray married Ruby McAleer on June 22 1955. They were married for 46 years, when everyone thought they would only last one year. They had 6 children, 5 boys (Ken, Tom, David, Ron, and Charlie) and 1 girl (Ellen). Dad always thought of his family first. He put everyone’s welfare before his own up until the end. He didn’t want to worry his family with what is called "idle nonsense," which is why we never knew he had CANCER until he left us. He was a fighter right to the end. He was like his old self, Joking around, Goofing off, and remembering things in the past. He worked as a jack of all trade (carpenter, mechanic, roofing, telephone lineman, bus driver, gas truck driver, nitro hauler, well drilling, & mid-wife (he delivered his brother John before the doctor arrived, this was at the age 11 years). Dad helped his children get the best of everything in life. He always helped anyone who was in need sometimes without payment. He was a loving father who thought of his family first before himself. He was blessed with 20 grandchildren (Tennille, Abby, Tegan and Amber Hudson, Jennifer, Gary, Steven, Wayne Hassall, Erin, Maureen, Ruby, Samantha, Shania Hassall, Matthew Gorski, Lee Hunter, Donald and Micheal Reddekopp, Jessie Hassall, Justin and Ashley korie) and 10 great grandchildren; He lost his granddaughter (TENNILLE) to CANCER eleven years ago. His main wish before he went was to spend Christmas and first birthday with is twin granddaughters (Shania and Samantha). One summer that Tom remembers is the year that the two of them went to a farm auction safe everyday from the time the sales started in the springs until they quit in the late fall. The day before he passed away Tom and Dad were talking about when he was in the 43rd Air Cadets Squadron in 1943 until 1946. He took his flight on an old plane that shook and seems like it was falling apart and missing or loose. He was very proud of the fact that two of his granddaughters were following in his footsteps with the 43rd squadron. He is remembered by some of his friends for building a truck in his younger days with two transmissions so that when both were shifted into first gear the truck would travel at a snails pace and when both reverse the truck would go forward. Another of his inventions that he was remembered for was the Juggity-Bus that was a go kart made for us kids from a combine that was stripped down and a 9 HP. Briggs & Stratton motor installed to power it, a picture of it can been seen on dad’s casket. The Juggity-Bus brought many hours of fun to us and even got us to do work that normally most kids would not want to do. I remember a story that grandma once told me. When Dad was a young lad grandma had made fried eggs for breakfast Dad clammed he wasn’t hungry. Grandma told him that he better eat it or he would have them for dinner. At dinner those same eggs came out, Dad still wouldn’t eat them. So Grandma brought them out for supper, by this time those poor eggs were like rubber, she told us that she felt sorry for him and was going to tell him, he didn’t have to eat them but thought if she did he wasn’t going to learn anything that way. So he chocked them down. The next time that Grandma made eggs he ate them immediately. He was a feisty man who never let his family know just how sick he really was. Even towards the last days here with us, he still was his same outgoing self (Joking, and remembering the past). We are PROUD that we got the chance to know him. Though Ray is gone his spirit, stories, jokes and all that he taught us will be with us forever. REST WELL DAD, WE WILL MISS YOU, THE HUDSON FAMILY MISSES YOU. RIP GRANDPA